weaning babies and diabetes risk

Hi James,
I have never heard of any direct link. The general message I got as a new mum was that the longer you breastfed your babies the better it was for them in terms of protecting them from diseases, allergies etc. I feel somewhat let down and cynical about this though, as both my daughters developed Type 1 (one aged 8 and the other aged 2) despite the fact that I breastfed for 14 months and 22 months respectively!! :shock: There is no history of Type 1 in either my family or my OH's.
I think having a Type 1 father does increase the risk slightly (regardless of weaning time), but I can't remember the % risk.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Hopefully a better informed poster will be along shortly.
Best wishes
Sue

Just a quick one whilst I do a search for you.

It is 'well known' (sorry, no references to hand) that babies who are breast-fed are less likely to develop dibetes. This of course, is because they are comparing the rates to artificial formula.
This needs to be turned around. Artificial formula fed babies are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, just as they are less intelligent than brest milk fed babies.
We need to compare what is abnormal against what is standard for humans and remember we are talking risk, not assurity.

I'll post later with some links once I've done a search.

wiflib

It seems that no matter how you bring up your child, whether breastfed or not, there is always something that you will be blamed for. I have breastfed all my children, far beyond the recommended 6 months, yet the eldest 3 all have hayfever, the second youngest has asthma, and my youngest has type 1 diabetes. Although the youngest was weaned rather earlier than the others, at 9 months, as he was a 'biter', ouch!

And thank goodness you did, otherwise it could have been worse for them.

Don't get me started on how motherhood and raising children is not valued anymore. Guilty if you do and guilty if you don't.

wiflib

There is an ongoing study about weaning and type 1 . Unfortunately it has many years to run before it reports.http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00179777

The hypothesis for this study is that weaning to an extensively hydrolyzed infant formula will decrease the incidence of type 1 diabetes in subjects with risk-associated HLA genotypes and a first degree relative with type 1 diabetes, as it does in all relevant animal models for the disease.

Click to expand...

what is interesting is that they are only concerned with children who are weaned early

All families are encouraged to breast feed their infants for as long as possible. The study infant formula is only used if exclusive breast feeding ceases before 8 months of age.

Click to expand...

I have to admit I don't know what an 'extensively hydrolyzed infant formula' is let alone whether its easily available!

Wiflib,
You say that bottle fed babies are less intelligent than breast fed ones.
I beg to differ as I have three children, all bottle fed because I couldn't breast feed. They all have done remarkably well throughout their education.

Catherine.

I'm Type 1 and no history of diabetes in my family..

I had 3 children who were all bottle fed, my youngest is now almost 18 and heading for uni, my other 2 are also well educated, and none are diabetic...

My husband is also Type 1 diabetic, no previous history in his family, ( but history is starting to build with cousins who have been diagnosed since) he has one son from his previous relastionship and he's now 23 and isn't a diabetic.. And hubby has just informed me that he was bottle fed as well..

My personal expeience, when it came to weaning my children, they let me know when they needed to go to the next stage, which all 3 were at slightly different times...

Neither my daughter nor my granddaughter had any option but bottle feeding. Granddaughter is only 9 months old. Daughter isn't diabetic, but has weight issues. Not in the midrif region!

My sincere apologies, I left out the 'at risk' phrase in my sentence about intelligence. I choose my words carefully usually. A formula fed child is more likely to have diabetes, lower intelligence, allergies, asthma, eczema, glue-ear and all the other stuff often quoted. Breastfeeding does not guarantee the absence of those things, they are just less likely to have them.
The point I was trying to make was that breastmilk is always quoted as being better than, whereas formula is never quoted as worse than, for fear of upsetting people as I upset you.
Smoking is banned on our hospital grounds and one whiff of it makes me very sick, but we are not allowed to say anything to those that do it for fear of upsetting them.
But the real crux of the matter is that it is not my personal opinion, please don't shoot the messenger! Artificial formula does keep babies alive and is sometimes the only option, but it is sub-optimal and has only been around for 40 years or so.

The reason the majority of women don't succeed at breastfeeding is a shocking lack of support, a society that sees it as disgusting and multi-national companies who have convinced us that formula is just as good if not better.

wiflib

Apologies accepted wiflib.
Regards, Catherine